First Nations Chiefs Health Committee

December, 2014

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Getting rid of unwanted body hair can be a difficult task for many women. For most, options such as laser hair removal are out of reach thanks to the scarcity of this technology in some regions and the high cost involved. Using razors to shave is tiresome especially for native women who tend to have thicker hairs that grow back faster and are easily visible because they are dark colored. This kind of removal also adds the risk of infections should the skin be nicked, and the problem of ingrown hairs.

Body sugaring is a fairly recent innovation that has proven highly effective and less risky to women. Just as the name suggests, a natural sugaring paste is used to remove the hair and also exfoliates dead skin. This usually results in hairless soft and smooth skin. It is a fairly gentle hair removing process that when professionally done should not cause discomfort or pain. In fact in cases where it is correctly carried out, the hairs are removed from the follicle level without any breakage of the shaft.
Even for native women who tend to have thicker strong hair shafts, the process is not difficult. Any discomfort is often a result of preconceived ideas that make the women tense as the procedure is carried out. However, even one procedure is enough to satisfy many that this is the ideal hair removal solution for them.

Another upside to this procedure is that it can be done with natural products like sugar and lemon juice mixes. The natural pastes have been known to reduce the chances of an allergic skin reaction as often happens with waxes. Even women who suffer from skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and varicose veins find that the use of these pastes and their exfoliating action often helps to improve the skin.
Unlike waxes that need to be heated up to liquefy before application, these pastes are applied at room temperature. This helps limit the risk of pain as blood is not drawn into tissues close to the skin that swell up. This is part of the reason that it does not cause pain or bleeding. It is also much easier to wash off than waxes that stick to the skin.
Waxes also tend to encourage bacterial growth in their containers. Sugar pastes however do not suffer this problem, reducing any risk of infections. It is also considered the best option for removal of short coarse hairs. This means that even if you shaved just a few days beforehand, you can safely try out this technique.
Just as with waxing, repeated sessions of body sugaring will lead to depletion of the hairs and a regrowth of finer hairs. This means that with time you will find it even easier to remove the hairs that will be fewer and finer. You can likely begin stretching out your appointments after just a few sessions.
To help ensure that body sugaring is carried out correctly, always have it done by a properly trained and well experienced esthetician. Discuss any fears you may have about the procedure and listen to how knowledgeable the technician is to gain confidence and decide if they are the right person you want handling the procedure on you.